Re: [Phys-l] hands-on aerodynamics

["LaMontagne, Bob" <RLAMONT@providence.edu>]

Probably the printer or driver. It downloaded and flew fine for me. Try printing to a pdf file first - then you can inspect it before it goes to the physical printer.

Bob at PC

> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
> bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Donald Polvani
> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 3:26 PM
> To: 'Forum for Physics Educators'
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] hands-on aerodynamics
>
> Just tried to print out the design using Outlook 2007, and Internet Explorer
> 9 for the cited URL on my HP 932C printer in color.  I got the bottom half of
> the design (with red and black lines) but not the top red triangle.  On the top
> half the black words printed and the black dashed line labeled "5"
> also printed out, but none of the red lines.
>
> Is this my printer or something else?
>
> Don
>
> Dr. Donald Polvani
> AACC Community College
> Arnold, MD 21012
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
> [mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of John
> Denker
> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 2:18 PM
> To: Forum for Physics Educators
> Subject: [Phys-l] hands-on aerodynamics
>
> Hi --
>
> Since there has been some interest in aerodynamics....
>
> There are good paper airplanes and not-so-good paper airplanes.
> Experimenting with good ones can teach a lot about physics in general and
> aerodynamics in particular.
>
> Here is a good "baseline" design:
>   http://www.av8n.com/fly/pdf/paper-glider.pdf
>
> This is not supposed to be the be-all-and-end-all greatest design, but rather a
> tradeoff between simplicity and good performance.
>
> Note that some of the folds are tight 180-degree folds, while others are quite
> open, closer to 90 degrees, giving the overall aircraft something of a "W"
> shape.  Also note a bit of clever origami technology:  fold #5 creates a pocket
> that /captures/ the points that were folded onto location "O" by step #4.
>
> You can trim the flight characteristics by putting very slight bends in the
> trailing edge.
>
> After you've made one or two of these, you won't need the instructions
> anymore.  In some locales, every 2nd-grader knows how to make such a
> thing from a blank sheet of paper, freehand.  In other locales, not so much.
>
> I am aware that most printers cannot bleed all the way to the edge of the
> paper.  There is nothing /important/ within
> 1/2 inch of any edge in the instructions.
>
> Note that these things have been known to "escape" from the physics
> classroom into other classrooms where they might not be entirely welcome.
> Students should be reminded that this is not a particularly brilliant or original
> idea.
>
> ============
>
> Things get interesting when you take this design as a starting point for
> exploratory experimentation.
>
>  -- Optimize it for slowest airspeed
>  -- Optimize it for best lift-to-drag ratio
>  -- Optimize it to fly upside down
>  -- Have a contest for maximum distance after flying over
>   one barrier and /under/ another.  This requires both good
>   design and good technique.(*)
>  -- et cetera
>
> (*) Note that without the barrier, the winning design would be a wadded-up
> piece of paper.  This is an artifact that arises because there is effectively
> unlimited initial energy.
> You want to set up the contest rules to reward some semblance of energy
> efficiency.
>
> ==========================================
>
> As a separate exercise, get an ordinary low-cost balsa-wood glider from the
> store, and re-arrange the parts to create a /canard/-type aircraft, i.e. with
> the main wing in the rear.
> Of course we want nice, steady, stable flight.
>
> This task is either very easy or very hard, depending on whether or not you
> understand the physics.
>
> Hint:  http://www.av8n.com/how/htm/aoastab.html
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